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US 8,866,643 B2Granted
Rotation input device
AssigneeAlps Electric Co., Ltd.
InventorTadashi Sano
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In a rotation input device, a planetary carrier, connected to an operation knob, rotatably supports a planetary gear which meshes with an outer teeth row provided for a sun gear, to which an output shaft is secured, and also meshes with an inner teeth row provided for an outer gear. A plunger provided for the sun gear is in elastic contact with a recess cam provided for the outer gear. A solenoid unit prevents rotation of the outer gear in accordance with an output of a magnetic sensor which faces a magnet provided for the output shaft.
Claims14
A rotation input device comprising:
- a rotary operation member;
- a first rotary member configured to rotate concentrically with and indirectly relative to the rotary operation member;
- rotation detecting means for detecting rotation of the first rotary member;
- a second rotary member configured to be rotatable concentrically with the rotary operation member;
- holding means disposed between the second rotary member and the rotary operation member, the holding means being configured to, while the second rotary member is not prevented from rotating, allow the rotary operation member and the second rotary member to rotate in unison, while the second rotary member is prevented from rotating, generate drag as the rotary operation member is allowed to rotate from a predetermined position to another position in the same direction as a direction in which the second rotary member was rotated until the rotation was prevented, and when a force applied to the rotary operation member is removed or the rotary operation member is rotated in the opposite direction, allow the rotary operation member to return from the other position to the predetermined position;
- braking means for stopping the rotation of the second rotary member when an output of the rotation detecting means exceeds an operation range of the rotary operation member;
- control means for releasing driving the braking means when determining on the basis of an output of the rotation detecting means that the rotation direction of the rotary operation member is reversed while the rotation of the second rotary member is prevented by the braking means;
- a planetary gear support configured to rotate concentrically with and in unison with the rotary operation member and rotatably support a planetary gear;
- an inner teeth row, provided for the second rotary member, configured to mesh with the planetary gear;
- and
- an outer teeth row, provided for the first rotary member, configured to mesh with the planetary gear.
8 more elements
A rotation input device comprising:
- a rotary operation member;
- a first rotary member configured to rotate concentrically with and indirectly relative to the rotary operation member;
- rotation detector that detects rotation of the first rotary member;
- a second rotary member configured to be rotatable concentrically with the rotary operation member;
- holding device disposed between the second rotary member and the rotary operation member, the holding device being configured to, while the second rotary member is not prevented from rotating, allow the rotary operation member and the second rotary member to rotate in unison, while the second rotary member is prevented from rotating, generate drag as the rotary operation member is allowed to rotate from a predetermined position to another position in the same direction as a direction in which the second rotary member was rotated until the rotation was prevented, and when a force applied to the rotary operation member is removed or the rotary operation member is rotated in the opposite direction, allow the rotary operation member to return from the other position to the predetermined position;
- a brake that stops the rotation of the second rotary member when an output of the rotation detector exceeds an operation range of the rotary operation member;
- controller that releases driving the brake when determining on the basis of an output of the rotation detector that the rotation direction of the rotary operation member is reversed while the rotation of the second rotary member is prevented by the brake;
- a planetary gear support configured to rotate concentrically with and in unison with the rotary operation member and rotatably support a planetary gear;
- an inner teeth row, provided for the second rotary member, configured to mesh with the planetary gear;
- and
- an outer teeth row, provided for the first rotary member, configured to mesh with the planetary gear.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.